Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture
  3. News

Everything points to Apple TV+ making a change you’re not going to like

Is an ad-supported tier coming to Apple TV+?

The Apple TV Plus Logo
Apple

It turns out that TV worked pretty well under its old model. According to a new report from Business Insider, Apple TV+ may be the latest streaming service that’s set to introduce an ad-supported tier and charge those who don’t stream with ads a premium fee to access their great shows and movies.

At this point, the report is still speculation, but Apple has made several recent hires in the advertising space that seem to suggest the direction they’re planning to take. The company recently hired former NBCUniversal ad executive Joseph Cady to serve as executive vice president of advanced advertising and partnerships, a move that comes following the company’s hiring of another former NBCUniversal executive, Jason Frum, who joined Apple’s video ad sales team.

Recommended Videos

The company also hired former Peacock executive Chandler Taylor as a video ads account manager, and Jacqueline Bleazey, who was a former senior director of sponsorships and ad sales at FanDuel, has also joined Apple’s advertising team.

If Apple does introduce ads on Apple TV+, it’s unclear what that might mean for the service’s overall pricing model. Right now, the service offers only a single, ad-free tier that costs $9.99/month.

Ads are coming to every streaming platform

Netflix on a phone
Stock Catalog / Flickr

Although users may have turned to streaming in part because the services didn’t rely on advertising the same way that linear cable does, it turns out that the subscription-only model may not be enough to pay for all the content that streamers are churning out.

Amazon Prime Video was the last streaming service to introduce an ad-supported tier, simply introducing them in January to all customers paying their $8.99/month subscription fee. The company charges $2.99/month extra to users who don’t want to see ads on their content. The introduction of ads on Prime Video led to an immediate backlash and even sparked a class-action lawsuit from users.

Before Prime Video made the switch, Netflix introduced an ad-supported tier at a discount, offering users a $6.99/month subscription fee in exchange for seeing ads with content. Netflix made that move in 2022 and has not seen the same level of backlash, likely in part because it didn’t introduce the ads to all users automatically. Max is in the same boat, offering users a cheaper subscription tier that includes some ads.

All in all, then, it seems like the streamers are realizing that the old TV model was the right one. Ad support is the best way to ensure that the shows you make turn a profit, which, of course, is what allows you to keep making new shows and movies.

As these ad-supported tiers become more common, it seems like users might be warming up at least somewhat to the prospect of seeing ads with their content, especially if it allows them to save a few bucks. If Apple TV+ does go that route, we’ll have to see how it ultimately plays out.

Joe Allen is a freelance writer at Digital Trends, where he covers Movies and TV. He frequently writes streaming… Read Full Bio
Sir Ian Fleming had the best work schedule you could ask for while writing James Bond
Clothing, Formal Wear, Suit

As a writer, I tend to work from home a lot. Or I work on the road. I do a fair amount of travel and write about my exploits as I have them. But when someone asks what my usual or typical workday looks like, there is no easy answer. Every day is different. However, I am surprised to find out that I may be doing something wrong here. While my workday is much more enjoyable than it used to be when I was stuck in the scramble of the nine-to-five, it is pretty much a grind when held up to the typical workday of Ian Fleming himself when he was writing his James Bond franchise.

While he was adamant about pumping out 2000 words a day, that workload apparently left him enough time to swim and work up a 007-level thirst during the day.

Read more
Making the Cut: The importance of cutting your cigar the right way
Face, Head, Person

The first time I smoked a cigar, I sat at a cigar lounge, letting the sounds of Frank Sinatra wash over me while an expert told me all about the wrap and the tobacco, the technique of smoking (piece of advice: don’t inhale, it hurts), and picking the right cigar. Then I picked up the cutter provided by the lounge and went to snip off the end. As if I was about to kick a puppy, the expert panicked and stopped me from doing the deed. I was about to cut on the cap. What the Hell is a cap? It is the wrapper that tells you which end to cut, and also, you NEVER cut on or below the cap. That is when I realized there is actually a thing here. There is a technique for cutting the cigar. But is it really that important? Actually, it is. It controls the temperature. It affects the flavor. The burn temp. All of this is tied into the cut by controlling the airflow. Well…luckily for me, I have friends over at La Aurora, and John Gaglio helped me out with a little insight.

Think of the cut like ice in a glass of whiskey. Too little dilution, and the pour does not open up in a way that can live up to its complexity. Too much, you’ve drowned the thing you liked about it. – John Gaglio, La Aurora

Read more
Tommy Bahama is making après-golf a thing
Face, Happy, Head

You can hear the lifts close; the last of the mountain riders are removing their skis or snowboards and getting ready for the next event of the experience. That is right, the snowsport is only the beginning. Now, you get to get dressed into something a little more comfortable and enjoy the social part of the experience: après-ski. Sometimes it is a huge party. Sometimes it is a quiet time by the fire. But the after event is just as fun as the event itself. But why should skiing have all the glory? Tommy Bahama is seemingly taking that idea to the golf course, albeit unintentionally. No, they are just becoming quite popular with the golf crowd, and that means we’re right up against the time of après-golf becoming a thing. This is more than simply the 19th hole. This is a budding culture shift focused on clothing as much as golf. At least, that’s what I think when I talk to Doug Wood, CEO of Tommy Bahama.

Tommy Bahama is sold in golf-adjacent and golf-friendly shops – and we like it that way. Golf shops traditionally mark their product down and we don’t like product markdowns. – Doug Wood, CEO of Tommy Bahama

Read more